Toyota Prius Hatchback (2004 - 2009) 1.5 VVTi T Spirit Hybrid 5d CVT Auto Owner Review

The Prius I bought new in 2006 is still sweetly gliding along almost ten years and 220,000 miles later. This car is so easy to drive and so quiet. The battery is still fine. The engine is still fine. The bodywork is still in good condition despite the occasional prang I've had in it. What you have to remember with a Prius is that much of the time, the engine is switched off and you don't really use the brakes because everything is electric. And there's no gearbox: it's neither automatic nor manual. The transmission is continuously variable. Altogether it's like you've got two cars in one. So 220,000 miles isn't really 220,000 miles, it's really about 150,000. The only issues, which are pretty reasonable for a car that's taken this much of a hammering, are that the carpets are worn through under the driver's shoes, the water pump failed once a few years ago and the engine briefly overheated, and there is a two inch patch of rust bubbling under one corner of the bonnet. Seriously, that's not much to complain about.